Lap-rod retainer for pickers, carding-engines, &amp;c.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. IBIS.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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VERNON C. FAUNCE, 0F BONDSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-RD RETAINER FOR PICXKEIIEL` CARDING-ENGINES, &o.

specification of Letters'ratent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

Application led April 6, 1916.' Y Serial No. 89,255.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNON C. FAUNGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bondsville, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lap-Rod Retainers for Pickers, Carding-Engines, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyi ing drawings.

The invention provides novel means for preventing a lap-rod used in connection with a wound roll of feed-lap from working endwise so as to become free at one end thereof from the bearing or ,guide for such end. The invention is applicable to intermediate and finisher-pickers, to carding machines, and to other machines in which fibrous material in lap-form wound in rolls is operated upon. When a lap-rod works endwise and becomes disengaged at one end thereof from the bearing or ,guide for such end, the onward trav- .eling movement of the feeding conveyerapron causes the roll of lap and lap-rod to swing into a more or less forwardly-inclined position. In the case of a wound roll of full or substantially full diameter which has been thus swung, the swinging thereofV will carry an end-portion of the wound mass forward against the feed-roll arrangement, or against the lap-rollnext in advance, as the case may be. If the one that is swung is the one neXt the feed-rolldevices, portions of several layers of vthe lap will beV drawn in in a mass, with the result of blocking the feed, sometimes with breakage of gearing. If the lap-roll in question is the second or succeeding roll, its forwardly swung end will make contact with the next one in advance, and both will be prevented from turning, therebyd blocking the feed on,

the apron. In the case of a nearly eX- hausted lap-roll, the final portion of the*` wound lap may slide bodily from the displaced lap-rod without unwinding, and in a mass pass through the feed-roll arrangement. The disengaged end of the lap-rod itself, in the case of the lap-rod of the first or leading lap-roll, may be swung around and go through the feed-roll arrangement into the interior of the machine, so that injury to the machine will follow from engagement' ofr the beater 4 or l revolving toothed-cylinder next adjoining said feed-roll arrangement with the lap-rod. i

The drawings showanembodiment of the invention. i

Figure l ofthe drawings' shows certain portions of an Vintermediate or nisherpicker, mainly in vertical section, including lap-feeding devices having the said embodiment of the invention applied thereto. I

Fig. 2 is a view showing in'elevation on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. l one of the lap-rolls ofFig. l and its"laprod,'with the means for preventing endwise movement of the lap-rod.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts that are shown in Fig. 2. Having reference to the drawings,- Fig. l shows two wound rolls 1 and 2 of lap resting by the peripheries thereof upon the upper-4 run of the feeding conveyerapron 3 by which the unwound lap resting upon the said upper run is delivered .to the feed-roll arrangement, the latter comprisingl in the present instance a feed-roll 4L and a series of evener-plates 5,'the lap being fed by means ofthe rotation of the said roll between the roll itself andthe evener-plates to thebeater 6 rotatingwithin the casing 7 and adjacent the grid 8. 'At 9, 9, are represented lap-rods, occupying as usual central wardly past the cheeks or side-pieces l1, 11,

asshown best in Fig. 3, at both sides of the machine.

In carrying the invention into effect I apply to a cheek or side-piece 11 adjacent each guide or vbearing l() an outstanding bracket 12 having a rod-engaging portion 12al rising alongside the guide or bearing at a distance from'the latter corresponding with' the length of rod which is to be permitted to extend outward beyond the gulde or lbearing. This retaining device, constructed substantially as shownin the drawings, may.

be duplicated in connection with the guides or bearings for the opposite end-portions of a lap-rod, but by forming or providing the lap-rod at one end thereof with a radiallyprojecting disk-like head or collar 9a as in the drawings, adapted to engage with the outer side-portion of the corresponding guide or bearing 10, it will be sufficient to employ a retainer-device 12a at one end only of a lap-rod. 1n such case, the retainerdevice will prevent longitudinal displacement of the lap-rod outwardly in one direction and the collar or head, through its engagement with the guide or bearing, will serve to limit longitudinal displacement of the lap-rod in the other direction. Y

rlhe upright portion 12a of the retainer preferably is provided with an outwardly flaring wing or iiange 12b, shown best in Fig. 3, which serves to guide the adjacent end'of a lap-rod into place at the inner side of the retainer 12a when the lap-roll with the lap-rod applied thereto is advanced into position by movement in the direction of travel of the upper run of the conveyerapron 3 from a preliminary position between two sets of guides or bearings 10, 10. Thereby the work of placing a fresh roll of lap in position in connection with the guides or bearings for its lap-rod is facilitated.

The form, construction, and mode of application of retainer-devices according to my invention may be varied in practice. Such retainer-devices may be provided for use in connection with all of the supply laprolls at the feeding end of a picker or other machine, or may be applied in connection with only the lap-roll or lap-rolls next adjacentA the feed-roll arrangement.

.`What is `claimed as the invention is l. The combination with a support upon which the periphery of a wound lap rests, and a guide for one end of a lap-rod located adjacent the position of one end of the laproll, restraining the lap-roll from forward displacement and permitting vertical movement of the lap-rod as the diameter of theV wound lap varies, of a lap-rod retainer out-` side said guide, adjacent thereto, and in line with the corresponding end of the lap-rod, whereby endwise movement of the lap-rod outward is limited without interference with said vertical movement of the lap-rod.

2. The combination with a lap-rodV support at the feeding end of a picker or other machine to which fibrous material is fed in lap-form, said feeding end having at one side thereof a guide for one end of alaprod extended through a supply roll of lap,

said guide adapted to restrain'the lap-roll from forward displacementv but permitting vertical movement of the lap-rod as the diameter of the wound lap varies, of a laprod retainer outside said guide, in line withV the corresponding end of the lap-rod, wherea wound lap-roll, said guide adapted to restrain the lap-roll from forward displacement but permitting vertical movement of the lap-rod as the diameter of the wound lap varies, of a lap-rod retainer outside said guide, adjacent thereto, and in line with the corresponding end of a lap-rod engaging said guide, whereby endwise movement of the lap-rod outward is limited without interference with said vertical movement of the lap-rod, and a lap-rod having a head or collar adapted to engage said guide to limit thereby endwise movement of the laprod in the opposite direction. j

l. The combination with a lap-roll support at the feeding end of 4a picker or other machine to which fibrous material is fed in lap-form, and a guide for oneend of a laprod extended through a supply roll of lap, said guide adapted to restrain the lap-roll kfrom forward displacement but permitting vertical movement of the lap-rod 'as the diameter of the wound lap varies, of a laprod retainer outside said guide, in line with the corresponding end of the lap-rod, whereby endwise movement of the lap-rod in the direction of such retainer is limited, and a lap-rod having a head or collar adapted to engage said guide to limit thereby endwise movement of the lap-rod in the opposite direction. Y

5. The combination with a guide or bearing for lone end of a lap-rod, said guide or bearing located adjacent the position of one end of a wound lap-roll, of a lap-rod retainer outside said guide or bearing, adjacent thereto, and in line with the corresponding end of a lap-rod engaging said guide or bearing, whereby endwise movement of the lap-rod outward is limited, and a guide whereby as a lap-roll is advanced horizontally into working position the said end of the lap-rod is directed into position at one side of the retainer.

6. The combination with a guide or bearing for one end of a lap-rod, of a lap-rod retainer outside said guide or bearing, adjacent thereto, and adapted to engage with vthe outstandingV portion of the lap-rod to ing for one end of a lap-rod extended with the retainer as a lap containing the through a supply roll of lap, of a, lap-rod lap-rod is pla-ced in working position. 1o retainer outside said guide or bearing, in In testimony whereof I aIiX my signature line with the corresponding end of the lapin presence of two witnesses.

5 rod, whereby endwise movement of the lap- VERNON C. FAUNCE.

v rod in the direction of such retainer is Witnesses:

` limited, and a guide by which the end of the MARION WOODHEAD,

lap-rod is directed into working relations ABBIE S. PEMBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

